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How should we spend the night of Laylat al-Qadr? Is it by praying, reading Qur’aan and the Seerah (Prophet’s biography), listening to sermons and lessons and celebrating that in the mosque?.

Answer: Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to strive hard in worship during the last ten nights of Ramadaan as he did not do at other times, praying and reading Qur’aan. Al-Bukhaari and Muslim narrated from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) that when the last ten days of Ramadaan began, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would stay up at night, wake his family and tie his lower garment tight. According to Ahmad and Muslim: he would strive hard in worship during the last ten nights of Ramadaan as he did not do at other times.

Secondly:

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) urged us to spend the night of Laylat al-Qadr in prayer out of faith and in the hope of reward. It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever spends the night of Laylat al-Qadr in prayer out of faith and in the hope of reward, will be forgiven his previous sins.”

This was narrated by the group apart from Ibn Maajah. This hadeeth indicates that it is prescribed to stay up and spend this night in prayer.

Thirdly:

One of the best du’aa’s that can be recited on Laylat al-Qadr is that which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) taught ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her). It was narrated by al-Tirmidhi, who classed it as saheeh, that ‘Aa’ishah said: I said: “O Messenger of Allaah, If I know which night is Laylat al-Qadr, what should I say?” He said: “Say: Allaahumma innaka ‘afuwwun tuhibb al-‘afwa fa’fu ‘anni (O Allaah, You are All-Forgiving and You love forgiveness so forgive me).”

Fourthly:

With regard to singling out one night of Ramadaan and regarding that as Laylat al-Qadr, this requires evidence. But the odd-numbered nights during the last ten nights are more likely than others, and the night of the twenty-seventh is more likely to be Laylat al-Qadr, because of the ahaadeeth which indicate that.

Fifthly:

With regard to bid’ah (innovation), it is not permissible either in Ramadaan or at other times. It was proven that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever innovates anything in this matter of ours [Islam] that is not part of it will have it rejected.” And he said: “Whoever does any action that is not part of this matter of ours will have it rejected.”

With regard to the celebrations that are held on some nights of Ramadaan, we know of no basis for that. The best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad and the worst of matters are those which are innovated.

And Allaah is the Source of strength. May Allaah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.

As seen on As-Salam USA (TV3)

What is the taste of laylat ul-qadr?

We know that Ramadan has a certain flavor, a unique taste; it is not a taste on the tongue of our body, but a taste that we savor in our soul. This taste is the clue to laylat ul-qadr; it is the flavor and experiential modality of Ramadan. If we liken Ramadan to a cup of hot water, then laylat ul-qadr is analogous to a tea-bag in the cup. By drinking it, you are tasting the tea, not directly, but dissolved in the water. It is perhaps difficult, if not impossible, for most people to directly taste tea by chewing tea leaves, but by drinking the beverage they are really tasting the essence of the tea in a more assimilable form. The same applies to Ramadan. By fasting the month of Ramadan we get to taste the beauty and power of the essence of laylat ul-qadr in assimilable form.

So do not despair. I used to stay up all night on the 27th of Ramadan, or the last ten nights of Ramadan, expecting a July 4th special of spiritual fireworks, to be zapped on the head and come out the next day a saint of some kind. And when it did not happen I wondered what did I do wrong.

A hadith of the Prophet, in which he says: "Many a fasting person gets nothing from his fast except hunger and thirst, and many a person who stands the night [(qam al-layli) meaning doing the qiyam or tarawih prayer at night] gains nothing from it but fatigue." Note here that what gives value to an act is the state with which we perform it.

you must look for your own experience of laylat ul-qadr, not the so-called public day of laylat ul-qadr. Just as your birthday is yours and not everybody else's, your own event of laylat il-qadr can happen, according to the ahadith of the Prophet, any day in Ramadan. It is your very own laylat ul-qadr, and has nothing to do with its being the 7th or the 27th day of Ramadan. And as you fast, the joy of fasting, the joy of Ramadan, is the joy of laylat ul-qadr. It is a happiness of proximity to Allah, of disconnection with your animal self; a disconnection from emotional peaks and valleys, from excessive happiness or deep depression, of emotional anger or joy, it is a raising of your consciousness to a higher level, of knowing the lightness of being, of being connected to your Creator in an essential way.

Have you ever asked yourself: why are we commanded to fast during the day, and not at night? And why is it the Night of Qadr, and not the Day of Qadr?

From Allah's point of view, time is all in one plane. Unlike us, Allah is equidistant from all moments in time. Thus our fasting during the day, and the fact that it is a Night of Power is not because of Allah's reality but because of our reality.

When you fast during the day, your nights become more alive; your senses are keener at night. The interplay of fasting during the day and breaking your fast at night creates within you heightened sensitivities. Your sleep patterns are interrupted; the distinction between sleep and awake states of consciousness are deliberately blurred to some extent. Why? To prepare you for a re-connecting with your Creator.

Before laylat ul-qadr, Muhammad the man was just an honorable citizen of Makkah. But after his own experience of laylat ul-qadr, he was transformed into rasulullah, and khatama rusulillah, God's Messenger, the seal of Prophets. And he was given the Qur'an. His impact upon human history is immeasurable.

This is an example of what happens when God contacts Man. When Allah contacts you, and you have tasted your own laylat ul-qadr, you too will be given a mission; and it will not usually be easy. You too will have to perform a hijrah of sorts, from one state of inner jahiliyyah to a state of submission (islam), you may have your life threatened if you do not emigrate to another place or country, and will be brought to ever higher levels of consciousness and awareness. Your emigration may not be necessarily from one place or country to another, it may well be from one state of being to another, from one employment to another. The Prophet's emigration transformed him from being just a Prophet to a Head of State, to a Prophet-King. As challenging as it was, it resulted in his ability to transform all of Arabia. He executed his human role of khalifa of Allah at the greatest height of human accomplishment.

Laylat ul-qadr gives us the clue. When you fast, and you feel the joy of fasting, and you break your fast; you say to yourself, how delicious is this date and this glass of water, how delicious is this piece of bread and this piece of cheese. This is your taste buds saying Alhamdulillah! Your body says alhamdulillah, but is your mind and your will also saying alhamdulillah? If it is not, then you are spiritually fragmented, and your taste bud's saying alhamdulillah is thwarted by your will. But when your will is fully blended in with your subconscious being, then you are empowered to articulate an alhamdulillah that reaches the Divine Throne.

May we all be worthy to enter Paradise by the gate of Rayyan, the gate vouchsafed to those whose fasting is accepted by Allah. Amen!

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